Fire razes San Fernando, La Union public market

SAN FERNANDO, La Union, Philippines —  A six-hour fire destroyed the public market in this city at dawn yesterday.

The cost of damage has yet to be determined.

Initial investigation showed the fire started at past 1 a.m. in a mini-grocery at the market.

Firefighters declared the fire out at 6:52 a.m.

Mayor Herminigildo Gualberto asked the city council to declare a state of calamity to assist around 100 vendors who were affected by the fire.

Gualberto has designated the covered courts in Barangays Ilocanos Sur and Norte as temporary markets.